Let's talk money...

I've received many emails over the past few months about studying & expenses in France... sorry I havent been able to get back because I was trying to figure out the best way to give a clear picture to all of you as it covers so many aspects of one's life. I did some accounting over the past 2 months too. So here goes!

[1]. School fees. Taking a language course is different from studying full-time in a university & coming to Europe on student exchange from your home university, in terms of hours & fees. I pay about 1800 euros per semester (Oct-Jan) for my course, whereas studying full-time in a public uni here sets you back about 200 euros per annum & student exchange tuition fees are probably waived. (As was my case many years ago when i went to Belgium).

Different schools charge different fees so do check again. Language courses start at a few hundred euros per semester depending on your level, the school & the number of hours.

Decide what works best for your situation & what you want to achieve. Do u want the experience without the stress, or are u in for the credentials? I only really wanted a year off so I knew i wouldnt want to plunge into university routines again.

[2]. Housing. My friend, who lives in a 2-bedroom apartment with his roommate pays about 1000 euros a month. Rent is expensive in Paris, & it varies greatly depending on the district you live in, your proximity to amenities, etc. However, this drops drastically when you are living in a student hostel so it really depends on your resources & yr school! I'd say this is the single most important expense of studying here and deserves the most effort in planning.

[3]. Food. We spend about 150 euros a week on groceries for 2 people including wines. My student friend spends about 200 euros a month for himself. It depends on whether you cook alot, buy ready-made food, or even if u buy supermarket house brands over established ones.

[4]. Transport. If you are a student & younger than 26 yrs old, you qualify for subsidised fees & u pay like 30-40 euros for unlimited travel on the metro every month. I live in the suburbs & am older than 26 so i pay 98 euros a month.

[5]. Lifestyle & entertainment. Take into account your lifestyle back home & what is important to you. I can't live without being connected to the Internet. My mobile plan has data included & costs me only 30 euros a month. I have classmates who use a prepaid SIM card (10 euros/month) & use the Internet & free computers in school & that saves them alot of money.

Are u contented to watch tv at home & study or do u prefer to hang out in bars knowing new people, going to museums, catching the latest french films? Can you live without eating out at restaurants? All these entertainment expenses add up so u might want to factor them in. I think 300-400 euros is a fair amount to put aside for all these. Of course you can go without these too. Some students I know have alot on their plate academically so they seldom go out.

In my opinion, i think it's a shame to be in a city like Paris & not visit the museums. Museums are free one sunday of every month & there are free museums around the city too.

[6]. Travel. France is a wonderful base to explore the rest of Europe so do factor in holiday expenses. It's also cheap to travel around if you buy yr train/plane tickets well in advance. Also going in a group with yr classmates helps u to split the costs too.

[7]. Work. If you are on a long-term student visa, you can work max 20 hrs a week part-time. This can help to finance your stay in Paris... the minimum wage is about 10 euros an hour for most student jobs.

[8]. Medical. If you are a student less than 28 yrs of age, you can buy insurance from the uni health system for 100-200 euros a year. As i dont qualify for that, I had to get my own insurance. This is important when u see a doctor as you only need to pay a token sum. However i also know people who did not buy insurance for the past 3 years living in Paris & they were fine.

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My situation is very different from most students so this is the best i can come up with, after talking to my classmates. At age 29, I feel comfortable with a certain quality of life, after having worked for the past 6 years. Hence, I spend alot more than my younger peers in school on shopping/ films/ museums/ coffee,etc. However, I planned financially for all of these before coming to Paris.

Sorry for the late replies & feel free to drop me an email if you need more details & i will try my best to answer in my capacity. xx